Pyrotechnic licenses revoked for companies involved in deadly NorCal fireworks explosion: Cal Fire State Fire Marshal

YOLO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — Cal Fire’s Office of the State Fire Marshal has revoked pyrotechnic licenses from two companies and their owners involved with the deadly fireworks warehouse explosion in Yolo County.

The massive explosion happened on July 1 and killed seven people, with damage stretching for acres.

MORE: Farm sues over deadly NorCal fireworks explosion that destroyed crops

Cal Fire said in a news release that an investigation found Devastating Pyrotechnics and Blackstar Fireworks violated California’s firework laws and regulations. The companies respective owners, Kenneth Chee and Craig Cutright, will have their operator’s licenses revoked.

The State Fire Marshal says they did not file proper importation documents, did not report lost fireworks, and were in possession of fireworks without a local fire permit. There’s an ongoing criminal investigation involving several other allegations.

MORE: 7 victims, including 4 from Bay Area, in NorCal fireworks warehouse explosion officially identified

“Since the explosion, our arson and bomb investigators and deputy state fire marshals have been laser focused on not only determining the circumstances leading up to the incident, but also whether or not the operators were working with their state-issued licenses,” State Fire Marshal Chief Daniel Berlant said. “While this concludes our administrative license investigation, we continue to make progress in the post blast investigation.”

Devastating Pyrotechnics is based in San Francisco, and it appears a loophole in California’s law allowed Chee to obtain explosives permits.